BUILDER'S LEAGUE UNITED HEADQUARTERS
12:00 NOON
It was cool inside, but not cold. Whirring fans regulated the air in the room, keeping it at a tolerable temperature for the ancient man at the large, stainless steel desk.
He had his chair swiveled to the window, looking over his industrial kingdom as he had for almost two centuries. Sometimes he would black out and get a glimpse of the nothingness that awaited his evil soul. but those times no longer frightened him. It was just death. A fickle little inconvenience with a penchant for sinking its skeletal tendrils into his rotting brain in an attempt to stay relevant. But he had more important things to lose sleep over.
His gravel empire had hit a glass ceiling. Beyond the high window was the illustrious, modern and solely Australian world of technology; mocking him and his small, grey American rocks. Laughter at his brother's pitiful little pebbles he could stand and even encourage, but how dare they point their fat, calloused fingers and sneer at his sophisticated designs!
Fortunately, he knew exactly what he needed to shatter that glass ceiling. It would hide in his metaphorical sleeve as his ace in the hole, waiting for just the right time to strike.
No need to tell Helen. As indispensable as she was despite her sex, this was his secret weapon. All his for the taking.
"Ya wanted t'see me, Mr. Mann?" came a soft, Texan drawl from behind.
Blutarch Mann spun around to face the Engineer. His Engineer.
"Yes, yes I did. Have you ever heard of a little speck on the map called Creekfield?"
"Can't say I have, sir," Engineer shook his head respectfully.
"That's because my blasted brother's men burned it off the map!" he hissed, trying to keep his temper in check. If he let his blood pressure get too high, he might die again, "But no matter, it is being rebuilt thanks to a generous grant from yours truly."
"That's mighty generous of ya!" Engineer smiled, but cowed slightly under the old man's ever-present scorn, "..Sir."
"I'm not doing it out of the good of my heart," Blutarch said, leaning back. He could feel another death coming on so he had to make his intentions clear. "They have something I want. Something that was being developed by their late mayor: a mind-control machine!"
"A… mind-control machine, sir?" Engineer asked incredulously. Was such a thing even possible?
He couldn't get his answer immediately, however, as Blutarch Mann perished right before his eyes… again.
Thankfully it would only be a matter of seconds before he resurrected. It was only death, after all.
THE END (for real)